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F. W. ROBINSON YARN CHANGE BINDER FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES FiledMay 1, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 22 1924. 1,502,486

' F. W. ROBINSON Filed Mayl. 1923 2 sheets-sum 2 I NVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

atented July 22, 1924.

1,502,486 PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. ROBINSON, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO scmrnmnHOSIERY, MILLS, INC., 01? READING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OI PENN-SYLV Application filed May 1,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK W. Ronmson, a citizen of the United States,residing at Reading, county of Berks, State of Penns lvania, haveinvented a new and useful 1 arn-Change Binder for Circular-KnittingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention comprehends a novel construction and arrangement ofa yarn change binder for circular lmitting machines of the type in whicha revolving cylinder is employed; y

In machines of this type, as ordinarily constructed, the binder is hungin the center of the cylinder. One of the objects of my presentinvention is to devise a novel construction of aarn change binder whichis constructed and arranged in such a manner that the space in thecenter of the cylinder, which is ordinarily taken up by the binder, willbe left free so that it can be utilized for other purposes.

It further comprehends a novel construction of a yarn change binderwherein a hook is directly suspended over the yarn which is out ofknitting action, and, when a change of yarn is to take place, the yarnfinger drops and holds the yarn which is beingfed on the outer circle ofthe needles. The hook is so pivoted that it holds the other end of thesame yarn at the inner circle to cause it to lie across the path of theneedle.

When the yarn is knitted in, the binder drops, it then opens and theyarn is then released. The binder is nowin a position to receive theyarn which is to come out of knitting action. The yarn finger whichcarries such yarn first rises to such a position that the yarn isbrought out of its knittin position. Thereafter the binder closes an theyarn is severed.

It further comprehends novel yarn positioning mechanism, yarn bindingmechanism, yarn severing mechanism and means for occasioning thecyclical operation of said mechanism.

Other novel features of construction and advantage will hereinafter morefully appear in the detailed description and the appended claims.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in theaccompanyin drawings a typical embodiment thereo YARN-CHANGE BINDER FORCIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

1923. Serial No. 635,839.

which is at present preferred by me, since this embodiment will be foundin practice to ive satisfactory and reliable results. It is, however, tobe understood that the various instrumentalities of which my inventionconsists can be variously arranged and organized and that my inventionis not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of theseinstrumentalitiesas herein shown and described.

Figure 1 represents, in side elevation, a portion of a circular machinein conjunction with which yarn change binders, embodying my invention,are employed. v

Figure 2 represents, in front elevation, the yarn change binder andcertain of its adjuncts.

Figure 3 represents a top plan view of the yarn change binder.

Figure 4 represents a section on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 represents, in side elevation and in detached position, aportion of the yarn severing and binding mechanism.

Figure 6 represents a section on line 6'6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 represents, in detached position, a top plan view of the hookand the shaft which carries it.

Figure 8 represents diagrammatically the relative position of certainparts of the yarn change binder when one yarn is in the hind er and theotheryarn is in knitting action.

Fi re 9 represents diagrammatically the relative positlon of certain ofthe parts when one yarn is in knitting action and the other yarnhas'just been brought into knitting action.

Figure 10 represents diagrammatically the relative position of certainof the parts when both yarns are in knitting action and the binder isopen to release the new yarn which is to be knitted in.

Fi re 11 represents diagrammatically the relative position of the partsshown in Figures 8, 9 and 10, when one yarn is in knitting action andthe other yarn is out of knitting action and in position to be receivedby the binder. 4

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings,

1 designates any usual or conventional type of circular knittingmachine, the construction and operation of which are well known tothoseskilled in this art. 2 designates the conventional latch ring onwhich the working parts of the yarn change binder are mounted. 3designates a yarn change binder, embodying my invention. The yarn changebinder has its working parts supported in and carried by a bracket 4which is secured to the latch ring by means of fastening devices 5. 6designates a rod fixed in the bracket 4 and on which is loosely mounteda lever 7 which is provided with the hubs 8, see Figure 2, the functionsof which are to serve as spacing members. The lever 7 is providedintermediate its ends with a depending enlargement having the operativecam face 9 with which cooperates the forward end of a'lever 10 which isfulcrumrd at 11 to a stationary portion of the machine frame. The lever10 has connected with it a rod 12 which is. also connected to a lever-13 suitably fulcrumed and controlled by a cam 14 carried by theconventional pattern drum of a circular knitting machine. The lower endof the lever 7 forms a clamping or binding member 15.- The lower end ofthe lever 7 is bifurcated to provide a knife 16 having a cutting edge17. 18 designates a movable knife which is pivoted at 19 between thebinder 15 and'the knife16, and it is bevelled' off to form the cuttingedge 20, see Figure 6. The knife 18'is provided at its upper end withthe longitudinally extending slot 21 into which extends a pin 22 carriedby an adjusting arm 23 which is provided with a slot 24 through which isadapted to pass the fastening devices 25 which engage the arm 26 securedto the bracket 4 in any desired manner. It will thus be seen that thearm 23 can be adjusted to vary the action of the knife. The lever 7 isnormally maintained in its downward position by means of a spring 27 oneend of which is fixed to said lever 7,as at 28. For purpose ofillustration, I have shown this spring as encircling the hub 8 and itsfree end be rs against a stationary portion of a brac et 4. The upperend of the lever 7 is provided with a bevelled or cam face 29 againstwhich is adapted to bear the forward end of a manually actuated lever 30which is fulcrumed at 31 to the bracket 4. By moving lever 30 toward theri ht in Fig. 4 the lower end thereof is causef to abut against; camface29 andthrough theinstrumentality of lever 7 hold the binder 3 inraised position so 'that'the loose end of thread is held in said binder.

32 designates an arm which is fixed to a sleeve 33 which is looselymounted on a rod 34. The forward end of the arm 32 forms a dependinghook 35. The arm 32 is provided with a laterally extending member 36which overhangs the yarn fingers 37 and gnomes to receive it, and the.opposite end of such spring is connected to a stationary portion of themachine.

The operation will now be readily apparcut to those skilledin this artand is as fol- It is common in machines of this type to change from onetype of yarn to another, for example, from silk to cotton and fromcotton to silk. It will thus be understood that the yarn finger 37receives one type of yarn and the yarn finger 38 another type.

Referring now more particularly to'the diagrammatic views seen inFigures 8 to 11 inclusive, I have shown in Figure 8 the position whichthe parts assume when-the yarn 43 co-operating withthe yarn finger 38 isin knitting action, while the yarn finger 37 has its yarn 44 out ofknitting action and its free end is held in the binder.

The yarn fingers 37 and 38 are actuated in the usual manner such as iswell known in the art and I have therefore deemed it unnecessary todescribe and illustrate in detail the construction for operating theseyarn fingers. In the first position illustrated in Figure 8, the yarnfinger 37 is in its raised position while the yarn finger 38 is in itsdown position. The yarn finger 37 is moved downwardly from its positionseen in Figure 8 into that seen in Figure 9, and as the hook 35 is heldin its raised position by one of the fingers, the hook 35 will drop whenboth yarn fingers are down and will be in the position seen in Figure 9,so that the hook 35 will receive the yarn 44 which is still held in thebinder. In the next position seen in Fi re 10, the yarn fingers 37 and38 are both d o wn as well as thehook 35 controlled by them. The

binder is also in its down positionand has released the yarn 44 which isnow in knitting action as well as the yarn 43.

In" the next stage of the operation, the

In the next stage of the operation, the knife 18 moves upwardly therebyseveringthe yarn 44, and clamping it between the knife 18 and the binder15.

It will be understood that the cam 14 through the lever 13 and rod 12causes the lever 7 to be raised and lowered at the proper times. Theopening and closing of v the knife 18 is caused by the movement of thelever 7, since the knife 18 is provided with a cam slot 21 into whichextends the pin 22 so that, as will be apparent, the upward movement ofthe lever 7 on its fulcrum causes the knife 18 to close and the downwardmovement of such lever causes the knife 18 to open. 7

It will be apparent that the action just described with relation to theyarn 44 takes place in a similar manner with respect to the yarn 43 atthe proper time so that either yarn, at will, depending upon theadjustment of the machine, can be brought into or out ofknitting)action. If the latch ring were raised, the inder would dropunless some means are provided for looking it in position, and, for thispurpose, I provide the manually actuated lever 30 which will retain thebinder in its raised position so that the loose end of the thread willbe held in the binder.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful yarnchange binder for circular knitting machines which embodies the featuresof advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the inventionand the above description, and while I have, in the present instance,shown and described an embodiment thereof which will give in practicesatisfactory and reliable results, it is tobe understood that thisembodiment is susceptible of modification in various particulars withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing anyof its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A yarn change binder, comprising a hook suspended over the yarn whichis out of knitting action, a plurality of yarn fingers and theiractuating means, said yarn fingers controlling the movement of saidhook, and automatically actuated yarn binding and cutting mechanism.

2. A yarn change binder, comprising. in combination with the needlecylinder, of a hook pivotally supported to be suspended over the yarnwhich is out of knitting action, the yarn fingers and their actuatingmeans, said yarn fingers controlling the position of said hook, andautomatically controlled yarn severing and binding mechanism.

3. A yarn change binder, comprisin in combination with the yarn fingersand t eir actuating means, of a hook movably mounted at one end andprovided with a laterally extending arm to overhang the yarn fingers,yarn severing and binding mechanism, and pattern controlled means foractuating said yarn severing and binding mechanism.

4:. A yarn change binder, comprising in combination with the yarnfingers and their actuating means, of a hook pivotally carried andhaving means overhanging said yarn fingers, a lever having a bifurcatedend, a knife movably mounted in said end and contributing therewith toform yarn binding and severing mechanism, and pattern controlled meansto actuate said lever.

5. A yarn change binder, comprising in combination with the yarn fingersand their actuating means, of a hook. pivotally mounted at its rear endand provided with means to overhang said fingers, a lever having itsfree end bifurcated, a knife movably carried in said bifurcated end,contributing therewith to form a cutter and a binder and provided with aslot, a fixed member extending into said slot to eflect the opening andclosing movement of said knife when said lever is moved, resilient meansto move said lever in one direction, and pattern controlled means tomove said lever in an opposite direction.

6. A yarn change binder, comprisin in combination with the yarn fingersand t eir actuating means, of a hook pivotally mounted at its rear endand provided with means to overhang said fingers, a lever having itsfree endbifurcated, a knife movably carried in said bifurcated end,contributing therewith to' form a cutter and a binder and provided witha slot, a pin adjustably mounted and extending into said slot to causethe proper movement of said knife during the movement of said lever,resilient means to move said lever in one direction, and patterncontrolled means to efiect the movement of said lever in a reversedirection.

7. A yarn change binder. comprising in combination with the yarn fingersand their actuating means, of a hook adapted to be raised by one or theother of said yarn fingers, a lever, a knife co -operating therewith toform yarn binding and yarn severing mechanisms, resilient means to movesaid lever in one direction, pattern controlled means to move said leverin a reverse direction, and manually actuated means to lock said leverin an inoperative position.

FRANK W. ROBINSON. Witnesses:

C. D. MoVAY. F. A. NEWTON.

